Keeping your body strong and active as you age is crucial to remaining independent and fulfilled. But not everyone has the time or inclination to spend countless hours at the gym doing intense workouts. The good news is that this is where gentle strength training exercises come in handy. As you age, these exercises can be just as effective, if not more so, in keeping your body strong and resilient. We discussed with Mike Masi, CPTcertified personal trainer at Garage Gym Reviews, who shares the top 10 gentle exercises to strengthen your body as you age.
Incorporating gentle, low-impact exercise into your routine can have a profound impact on your overall health and well-being. Not only can they improve your physical health, but they can also improve mental health by reducing stress, depression and anxiety and improving sleep quality, according to a 2023 study. Plus, these gentle exercises are beneficial regardless of your fitness level. Doing them regularly will help you maintain muscle mass and bone density while improving your balance and stability, reducing your risk of falls and injuries.
Whether you’re new to bodybuilding or an experienced exerciser, read on to discover the 10 best gentle exercises to strengthen your body as you age. Then, when you’re done, be sure to check out The #1 Best Workout to Improve Your Mobility.
Sit-stand chair
Sit-stand chairs are fundamental to maintaining lower body strength, mobility, and independence as you age.
Masi asks you to sit on a sturdy chair with your feet flat on the floor. Stand up slowly without using your hands, then sit down. If you want to make it more difficult, consider using a lower chair. Additionally, widening your feet can help reduce pressure on the knees for those trying to work around knee discomfort. Perform three sets of 10 repetitions with one minute of rest between sets.
Heel raises
Heel raises strengthen the muscles of the lower leg, helping to improve balance and stability and reducing the risk of falls and injuries as we age.
“Stand behind a chair for support. Slowly raise your heels off the floor, then lower them. Progress through this exercise by standing on a book or step so your ankle can exercise with greater range movement,” Masi explains. Aim for two sets of 15 reps with one minute of rest.
Raised push-ups
Raised push-ups offer a gentle way to build upper body strength without putting too much strain on your joints. This exercise targets the chest, shoulders and triceps, helping you maintain the muscle mass and upper body strength needed for daily activities.
Masi explains: “Stand a few feet from a raised, sturdy surface. Place your hands on the surface slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Perform push-ups by bending and straightening your elbows. Find a height that allows you to get the target rep range below while touching your chest to the surface with each rep. Do two sets of 10 reps with one minute of rest.
Shoulder Circles
Shoulder circles are a great way to improve shoulder mobility, reduce stiffness, and improve shoulder flexibility. Pain-free shoulders make it easier to reach, lift and carry objects.
Masi says you can sit or stand for this exercise with your arms extended to either side and your palms facing down. Keep your elbows straight and move your arms in small consecutive circles, forward or backward.
“This exercise is intended for more repetitions and does not require a lot of weight. However, you can add a small weight or soup can to each hand to increase the difficulty,” says Masi. Perform 30 rotations in each direction for two sets, resting for one minute in between.
Glute bridges
Glute bridges can help improve your posture and make daily lifting and bending activities easier because they engage the muscles in your hips and lower back.
“Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat,” says Masi. “Keep your feet shoulder-width apart. Push your feet into the floor, lift your hips off the floor until they are in line with your knees and shoulders, or until you can’t go any further further away.” Perform three sets of 15 repetitions with one minute of rest between sets.
Tandem position
“This exercise improves your balance, especially in positions where your base of support is reduced,” says Masi.
Stand with one foot directly in front of the other, with the heel of the front foot touching the toes of the back foot. Hold on to a chair for support if necessary and hold this position for 10 to 20 seconds before switching feet. Do two sets of three holds per foot, resting for one minute between sets.
Handles
Handstands are a simple but effective exercise that can increase your grip strength, making it easier to perform tasks like opening jars, carrying groceries, and holding on to railings.
To do them, Masi explains: “Squeeze a soft ball or exercise machine with handle, hold for a few seconds, then release. This exercise can also be performed isometrically by squeezing a soft towel. When you do it this way, you may want to hold each press longer. Aim for four sets of 15 reps per hand with one minute of rest.
Detachable strips
The band takedown is a great exercise for strengthening your upper back and shoulders. Masi tells us this move helps improve posture and can relieve upper back and neck pain, which are common problems as we age.
“Stand or sit with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a resistance band in both hands; arms extended in front of you at shoulder height, palms down. Spread the band by moving your arms outward until “until it touches your chest, then slowly return to the starting position,” says Masi. Perform two sets of 15 repetitions, resting for one minute between sets.
Dead bugs
This basic exercise helps improve stability and coordination, essential for maintaining balance and preventing injuries.
“Lie on your back with your arms extended toward the ceiling and your knees bent at a 90-degree angle,” says Masi. “Lower your left leg toward the floor while pressing your lower back into the floor. Return to the starting position and repeat with the opposite leg.” Perform two sets of 10 repetitions per leg with a minute of rest in between.
Downward dog
Downward Facing Dog is a gentle yoga pose that stretches the entire body while building upper body strength, improving flexibility, and relieving tension.
To perform this move, Masi says you should start in a push-up position on the floor with your hands under your shoulders. Keep your arms straight and lift your hips toward the ceiling, straightening your legs as much as possible. Hold this position for three to five seconds, then return to the push-up position. Aim for four sets of five repetitions with one minute of rest between sets.
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